Target shooting is a widespread activity, both for purposes of recreation and in connection with the training of law enforcement officers, military personnel and individuals interested in personal self-defense. Indoor target ranges provide a safe and controlled environment for year-around shooting. Furthermore, indoor target ranges minimize the impact of noise and the hazards of stray projectiles on the surrounding environment; hence, they are of increasing popularity in urban areas.
In any target range, and in an indoor range in particular, it is necessary to provide a backstop structure which will halt projectiles and prevent damage from ricochets or bullet fragments. Any backstop structure should be highly resistant to impact by projectiles and/or readily replaceable or renewable. The simplest backstop structure comprises a volume of earth. While earth backstops are low in cost, they typically occupy a large volume and require supporting or confining structures to retain the earth. Additionally, if the earth is not contained shooting can generate significant amounts of dust.
Metal deflectors have long been employed in shooting ranges to trap bullets. As is,well known in the art, these structures generally comprise a series of inclined metal plates or baffles which slow the bullets and guide them to a collection point. The weight and complexity of metal deflectors makes them expensive to purchase and install. Furthermore, they are quite noisy in operation. A most significant problem associated with metal backstops is the fact that bullets striking them readily fragment and generate lead dust which has been recognized as a significant environmental hazard associated with target ranges.
The use of certain bullet absorbing backstops can eliminate or minimize the problem of lead dust generation. Such backstops include earth, as noted above, and can also include materials such as wood or rubber. Wood is not a practical backstop material since rather large amounts are needed to stop most calibers of bullets. Furthermore, wood is very quickly damaged by repeated impacts. In some instances, rubber-based materials are employed as backstops. These materials generally comprise rubber and fabric composites such as shredded and rebonded tires, industrial conveyor belts and the like. Rubber-based materials are effective at slowing and trapping projectiles; however, in use they tend to accumulate trapped projectiles and eventually deteriorate. Furthermore, rubber-based materials are quite expensive.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that there is a need for an improved backstop for target ranges. The backstop should stop and/or trap bullets without generating significant amounts of lead dust. Furthermore, it should be resistant to repeated bullet hits and it should be low in cost and readily renewable. The present invention addresses this need by providing a backstop structure which effectively slows and stops a variety of different calibers of bullets. The backstop structure is lightweight, low cost and modular. It may be configured to accommodate a variety of calibers and loads and is readily repaired. These and other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art from the drawings, discussion and description which follow hereinbelow.